Knighthood was a trend that began during the 11th century as a professional association. It included only those who could afford to make and maintain the heavy capital investment required by mounted warfare - that is horse and armor fighting. Knights usually came from the nobles - the great land-owning families. .
During the first half of the 12th century religion influenced knights to follow a certain code of behaviors called Chivalry. During the last half of the 12th century literature provides a model for the knightly community, as well as a way of glorifying it. .
At the age of four a noble's son entered a kind of school to learn to read and write. He would learn the Code of Chivalry: Prowess, Justice, Loyalty, Defense, Courage, Faith, and Humility. When he reached the age of around seven his father, or sometimes his uncle, would take over as teacher in his path to be a great knight. At this age the young boy is called a Page. He would be taught how to handle weapons and how to defend himself. He would get up early in the morning and work at this all day. He also had to learn how to take care of the horses. Any spare time would be devoted to running errands for the Ladies of the Manor. The Ladies would train him to carve at the table.
At age nine the teacher would advance the young boy. He would now become a Valet. This meant "little vassal" or "little lord". He would become a personal servant to his father or uncle. Part of the valet's job was to set the table before mealtimes, and then stand behind his teacher during mealtimes. He would continue learning how to handle weapons.
After several years the boy would reach the age of fifteen. He would now advance and become a Squire. As a Squire he accompanied the teacher everywhere, even into battle. He had to prepare the knight for battle by helping him on with his armor. He also carried all of the knight's weapons. When going into battle the Squire led the extra horses that might be needed.
"Knighthood comes from the English word knight, which means household retainer." ... In the 12th century, chivalric codes were added to knighthood. ... Chivalry added discipline to knighthood. ... At this stage, young boys spent much time with nurses and women. ... The decline of knighthood was from the 13th century on. ...
Simply because that was the time when the whole knighthood began, grew to an ever so popular stage, and was ended by the tragedy of the Hundred Years War, which brought the final chapter of the medieval stage. ... The path to knighthood began at the age of seven, when a vassal sent his son to the lord's house to become a page. ...
Finally Inspector Goole is on stage throughout much of the play and we are told he is in his fifties. ... The audience get to know the room and can connect with it well, it also adds to the feeling that you really are just watching an evening in a 1912's house unfold before your eyes without the normal "special-effects", lighting and scene changes that you might normally get on stage or on screen, giving this play a slightly unique quality. ... At the start of the play the mood is very relaxed, the family are celebrating the engagement of Sheila and Gerald, the audience feel at ease with ...
He is proud of his status and reminds other of it (pg. 8 "knighthood" p.10 "Bench"), especially when trying to put the Inspector in his place (p.16 "golf"). ... At the end of the play it is the possible loss of his knighthood that bothers him most, not his conscience (pg. 57). ... In the initial stages of the play we can see the way in which Gerald considers women, and the way some women considered themselves, through his relationship with the fiancée Sheila. ...
It is said that at the first meeting between the Knights, King Arthur laid down the rules of Knighthood. ... After they reached the stage of lifetime membership, men and women must pledge an oath of loyalty to their fellow gang members in fear of getting beaten or killed. ...
However, if the growth was not treated, the victim progressed to the second stage, in which black spots appeared due to bleeding under the skin. The third stage consisted of violent coughing and vomit containing large amounts of blood. The fourth and final stage would occur within two to three days of the third stage. ... The chivalric code only applied to those of high social status and knighthood. ...
The stage would have been lit with light, bright colours to give the audience the impression of cheerfulness, when the Inspector, Inspector Goole, comes in and tells the family that a young woman has committed suicide by drinking industrial disinfectant. ... The stage directions read: "Eric is standing just inside the room and the others are staring at him". ... The Inspector, who would have been demanding answers, massively would have been disgusted at what he was finding out (if he didn't know already), Mr Birling would be thinking about a public scandal and thinking about how his knig...
In the first stage of becoming a knight the young boy would be known as a page. At this stage they would run errands and practice fighting styles with wooden swords. ... At age fourteen, a page becomes a squire, which continues in weapons training, and when they reach the age of twenty-one, a squire if worthy can be appointed into knighthood(Doc C). ...
This is shown at many places in the play, he buys his port from the same buyer as the socially superior Crofts, and he is only concerned about Eva because of the effect the scandal could have on his chances of a knighthood. ... The Inspector controls the play by what he says and in the manner he says them, his presence on stage grows as he forces every member of the family into a confession. ...
